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Why you have to catch Liam Gallagher live in Manila in August
In April 2009, I flew to Singapore to watch Oasis. Yes, that Oasis. It was a really cool experience, and not just because I’ve been a fan since the 1990s.
Earlier that day, I got to meet and interview Liam Gallagher himself. The rock star’s reputation preceded him, and I think everyone in the room was a bit on edge, half-waiting for him to suddenly throw one of his infamous fits, or maybe even let his fist fly if he didn’t like a question.
But it never happened. Instead, he was candid and forthright. One would say he was even polite. Even the fact that he generously peppered his answers with expletives came off as good-natured rather than coarse.
When I asked him what he thought the biggest misconception people had about him was, he said in his thick Mancunian accent, “I dunno man. If people f***in’ piss me off, then I can be a c**t, d’you know wha’ I mean? But if people are cool, then I’m cool with them. The people who write shit about me are obviously c**ts and I piss them off. So there you go. I don’t care what people think. That’s none of my business.”
Later on, Gallagher said something that would prove to be incredibly prescient. “As long as we enjoy it—and we obviously enjoy it—there’ll still be Oasis. I’m not doing it for the money, although that’s nice. But definitely, I’m doing it because I like it, and that’s where I get my kicks from: going onstage singing songs, making people happy. So I’d do it forever. The Rolling Stones are still at it. What’s the point of splitting up if you’re enjoying it? Just so you can say, ‘Hey man, we split up. Whoopee!’”
No one had any idea then that, just a few weeks later, Oasis would cease to exist. That Singapore show, as it turned out, was one of the last that they played together as a group.
The memories came rushing back when it was announced that Liam Gallagher would be playing a solo show here in Manila on August 14 at the MOA Arena. No, it’s not the same, but one Oasis member is better than none, and for Filipino fans, this has been a long time coming.
The band were set to make their Manila debut in 2002, but the show was canceled over security concerns following terror attacks. I was one of those who already had tickets but sadly had to get a refund.
You can imagine then how happy I was that, seven years later, I finally got to see them live. The show as I remember it was electrifying and poignant.
When the first few strains of “F***in’ In the Bushes,” came on, the area where I was standing turned into absolute madness. Moreso when they started on the first song, “Rock ‘N Roll Star.”
From my review of the show back then, I said, “We were shoved around like life-sized rag dolls, elbowed and kicked by audiences hungry for Oasis and not being completely satisfied by the fact that they were right there onstage.”
In a few minutes, I was soaked with sweat and burning, but I didn’t care. It was terribly exciting to think that one of the biggest bands in the world were right up there just a few feet away from where I was standing.
Liam himself was the very definition of rock star. I remember he barely spoke, but he commanded attention just by standing there and then doing his trademark singing pose: arms behind his back, slightly bent forward at the waist, looking up at the microphone pointed downward. In between songs and during instrument solos he just stood straight up, face serious, eyes fixed on a point far away.
Many of the songs in the setlist were from the album that had just come out then, Dig Out Your Soul, but, as expected, the band got the loudest, most visceral reactions from older material, like “Shakermaker,” “Slide Away,” and “Wonderwall.”
Liam disappeared during the encore and it was Noel who sang “Don't Look Back In Anger.” I couldn’t help but get all sentimental: it was a song I've listened to and sung countless times before: in the shower, while dressing up for school or work, in the car during rush hour traffic, in my old walkman and iPod. And there I was listening to it live. It was just too surreal.
After “Falling Down” and “Champagne Supernova,” the band chose The Beatles classic “I Am The Walrus” for the big finish. What a head trip it all was.
We’re in the middle of a concert golden age the past few years, with big-name artists making Manila a stop in their tours. But for anyone who’s ever followed Oasis since they got together in the early 1990s, the chance to see and hear Liam sing those familiar songs (and even his stuff from his post-Oasis project Beady Eye) is an opportunity of a lifetime. You might have hesitations and doubts, but if you feel in your gut that you need to go see him, my advice is to go for it. It’ll be worth it. — BM, GMA News
Paul John Caña is a writer and live music geek. Check out his blog manontheotherside.blogspot.com. Email him at pjcana@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter and Instagram @pauljohncana.
